#IAmAWitness: Apple releases new emoji in partnership with anti-bullying campaign

Basically the campaign is about encouraging teens to speak up whenever they encounter bullying or are a victim of it themselves.

The goal is to step in when you see bullying, by using the “I am a witness” emoji, and a positive message.

“We want the kids to own it, we want them to start the movement, we want them to take it over”, GS&P’s Angie Elko, who designed the original eye-in-speech bubble emoji with Patrick Knowlton, said.

The Ad Council – which gave us the “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” ads, the Crash Test Dummies, Scruff McGruff and more – invented the new eye-in-speech bubble emoji as part of it’s anti-bullying campaign, “I am a witness”. “Through this extraordinary collaboration of media, non-profit, and corporate partners, along with influencers that teens look up to, we will transform witnesses from passive bystanders into a united, empowered and active collective that will speak up against bullying”.

To help prevent online bullying and harassment, the emoji is meant to be used as a subtle reminder to bullies that their deeds aren’t going unnoticed.

“It’s a powerful symbol”, says Wittmark. It says “I see this, and I’m speaking up”. The Cupertino company isn’t the first nor are they alone in this either.

The site also features step-by-step directions on accessing and using the I Am A Witness emoji and keyboard, as well as a “Send Kindness” section with uplifting images, GIFs, and videos for sharing with anyone in need. The company found a way to fast-track it, she says, by combining two existing emoji.

The initiative is backed by a number of major tech firms, including Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and YouTube. And the campaign does have a deep bench: Adobe, Facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Whisper, Kik, and Google have signed on to help kids broadcast the symbol on as many frequencies as possible.

The Ad Council has tested the emoji with 30 boys and girls between the ages of 13 to 16, who do a lot of things online and have witnessed cyberbullying over the previous month.

GS&P also developed an animated, interactive video in partnership with Moonbot Studios to further promote the campaign.

What’s a good response when you don’t really have something to say?